Monthly Archives: September 2019

2019 Trip 5: Alaska: Sept. 11-13

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

An evening Seattle shot

Havre Montana Thursday Sept. 12

King Street Station in Seattle

The Embassy Suites in Seattle was our overnight lodging Tuesday night. It is across the street from the Amtrak station and two blocks from the National Park Service’s Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. With the delay in leaving Anchorage airport, we only had time for dinner Tuesday night. Wednesday morning though we walked around the Embassy Suite area, very close to the football and baseball stadiums. After breakfast, we brought two of our bags over to the Amtrak station. We checked them through to St. Paul, and then stored the last suitcase and backpacks at Embassy Suites until later in the afternoon.

When we were in Alaska, Seattle and its businessmen were portrayed as feasting off the natural resources of Alaska without local decision making and certainly no plowing profits back into Alaska or its peoples. In Seattle, the portrayal was the ingenuity and entrepreneurial skills of Seattle in its dealing with Alaska caapualted the town into a major urban hub. Even before the gold rushes, the profits from Alaskan natural resources paid for the purchase price in under ten years. When the gold rushes occurred, Seattle’s population and importance surged.

Minot ND, 7 hours later

The Chilkoot Trail and imitation gold bars.

The gold of the Klondike Gold Rush was located in Canada but the “easiest” routes to the Klondike went through the U.S. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park related the stories of the people who were adventurous enough to tackle the arduous journey. It is estimated that 100,000 prospectors started out for the Klondike and about 300 struck it rich.

The Canadian Mounties enforced a rule that each prospective prospector had to have a year’s worth of supplies before they would allow them access to the country. This meant each prospector had to carry about 2,000 pounds of miscellaneous tools, food, shelter, etc. This requirement necessitated multiple trips to move a portion of the supplies to a drop spot, or cache, and then return again and again until the full load was moved each short leg of the journey.

One optional route involved the Chilkoot Pass. It generally took each prospector three months of slogging to move the required 2,000 pounds of goods over the pass. The last obstacle on the Pass involved a quarter mile hike gaining 1,000 feet in elevation. Famous pictures show an endless line of people walking one behind the other to reach the top-only to return to the bottom and bring up another load. By the time most new prospectors reached the Yukon, the good claims were taken or used up.

Puget Sound

Seattle’s King Street train station has been renovated but is still relatively small and featureless. It is busier, however, than Union Depot in St. Paul. The Empire Builder left on time and first heads north along the Puget Sound. Around Everett the train moves east and we started going through mountains. Since we left at 4:40 P.M and sun sets at 8 PM, the view ended early. Luckily, tonight was almost a full moon and for several hours one could look out the windows and watch the moon shine on the hills and valleys.

Some of the Thursday morning views

We selected a larger sized sleeper compartment, all meals are included as part of the package. Amtrak meals, I find, are reasonable and since the price is included, we made sure to partake of each one during our 40 hour journey. I had planned to spend time in the observation car and we did for an hour Thursday morning after breakfast. While those views are nice, they were not much better than the views from our sleeper so we returned to the sleeper and spent most of our tine there.

Napping in the sleeper car

Sleeping in the sleeper depends on the person. Neither Chris nor I were bothered by the rocking motion of the train. I found it difficult to fit into a comfortable position and did not sleep that well. When the lower bed is out, maneuvering around is very tight. If you are sleeping, not a problem. If you are awake and trying to do anything else, it is a challenge. when the bed is back into being a couch, there is plenty of room to stretch, nap, read, etc.

Big Sky Country-Montana

Thursday’s route took us around the boundaries of Glacier National Park and eastward through northern Montana and North Dakota. One understands the motto “Big Sky Country” for Montana after riding for hours along this route. Once you cross the border into ND, the oil wells, flares, and processing facilities are front and center.

Currently we are 30 minutes behind schedule but Amtrak has means to make up the time and I expect we will arrive on time in St. Paul Friday morning. We did some reading, some napping, some talking with fellow travelers, and a lot of just looking out the window. After all, if we were driving this would be pretty much the same route and I would not be as able to enjoy the view. So, we relaxed, enjoyed the ride, and ended another great trip seeing the U.S. Next scheduled experience: the month of October volunteering at Voyageurs National Park.

Outside Amtrak #8 in Havre MT

Ed and Chris. September 13. Somewhere between Grand Forks and Fargo ND. 2 AM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: Sept. 9-10

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

Lodge typical of southeast Alaska cultures

Anchorage, AK. Sept. 10

Our last days in Anchorage were less busy since we switched two nights in Cooper Landing to two nights in the Anchorage area due to the Swan Lake wildfire. Most of Monday was spent at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The elders of the indigenous cultures came together and opened this center 20 years ago to teach outsiders and their own children.

Buildings from three of the villages at Alaska Native Heritage Center

Reindeer sausage for lunch at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Chris had a granola bar.

The center offers a rotating, continuous selection of live presentations and movies in conjunction with an exhibit hall and tours of replicas of six traditional Native dwellings. Of course there is also a gift shop, a cafe, and artists creating and selling arts and crafts. We spent four hours here and enjoyed it immensely. I can’t say I could lead a tour now after several museums and exhibits; but I certainly have a deeper understanding of the various cultures and how geography and natural resources have shaped them.

From the docent, we learned again how the native cultures differ, but more poignantly, how the cultures have suffered. From the loss of elders and shamans due to disease, from the brutal enforcement of non-use of native language and traditions, to the enticements and pervasiveness of modern comforts, the old ways which had so much meaning and community cohesiveness have become less known.

Basket reflecting Inupiaq traditions

Through this center and others like it, children and young adults are slowly learning their language and culture. Even with these efforts, it is a slow process. Some of the culture and traditions have been lost and will never be recovered. The peoples may not have invented gunpowder or nuclear power, but the cultures fit the people allowing them both a means of sustenance and an opportunity to express creativity.

Throughout the center, ten universal values are emphasized. Share what you have. Know who you are. Accept what life brings. Have patience. Live carefully. Take care of others. Honor your elders. Pray for guidance. See connections. Show respect to others.

What a plan to live by. Compare the ten universal values with the Biblical commandments which have so many negative directives.

Chocolate waterfall at Alaska Wild Berry Products

The rest of our day, which happened to be our 47th wedding anniversary, was anti-climatic. A little shopping at the Alaska Wild Berry store, a local chocolate confectionery and gift shop. The Ship Creek Overlook supposedly is a great place to see salmon. It was not for us. Don’t know if the salmon were down here or what but we were glad we saw salmon in several other places.

We drove up to Eagle River Nature Center in Chugach State Park and did some hiking. One of the trails was closed; it runs by a salmon spawning stream heavily used by bears at this time of the year. Dinner was at Texas Roadhouse for steak dinners.

Today, Tuesday, we fly to Seattle for one night before picking up our Amtrak Empire Builder train Wednesday. Our Alaska 4 x 4 Jeep was picked up and we arrived at the airport early as usual. Just after arrival, Delta notified us that our flight will be delayed by 90 minutes. That will allow us to stop at Cinnabon and a few other places for treats before the plane leaves.

Alaska has been a great place to visit. If you have plans to come here, don’t just take a cruise with a few side trips. Spend some time. Rent a car and travel at your own pace. Buy the Alaska Tour Saver coupon book, you will more than recoup your cost. We believe our blogs will give you some good ideas. Only strong tip we would make is to not travel any later than we did. Our trip timing took advantage of fewer crowds and few mosquitoes. However, most of the places we visited would be closing within a week or two. One or two places closed on Labor Day and we missed their events but overall, late August to early September is optimal in our mind.

Our last picture of Alaska from Chugach State Park

Ed and Chris Anchorage Airport, Tuesday Sept. 10 12:30 PM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: Sept. 7-8

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

Lake Hood Floatplane Base, Anchorage

Anchorage, AK. Sunday September 8

Saturday was the first day of consistent rain since we began this trip three weeks ago. Luckily Seward had a few options for indoor activities. The Alaska Sealife Center is basically an aquarium although one with a heavy research and conservation emphasis. The admission is pricey at $30 per person but again the Alaska Tour Saver Book came in handy with a buy one, get one coupon.

Alaska Sealife Center in Seward

Besides keeping us dry, the Sealife Center gave us an opportunity to closely observe some of the animals we have been seeing. The puffins, for instance, were much cuter when seen from a close distance. Although the fish were ugly, the underwater creatures like jellyfish, anemones, etc. are always cute and surprising.

Educating the visitor to climate change and pollution’s impact was a consistent, secondary theme presented by the Sealife Center. Given the importance of the Alaskan fisheries to the production of seafood supplies, the theme is timely. It has taken a while for the world to understand sustainable fishing, now it has to more fully practice it.

Two of the many murals in Seward Alaska

During our time in Seward, we had the occasion to enjoy the many murals painted on the walls of buildings. Seward has been proclaimed the mural capital of Alaska, with about thirty murals scattered around the community. Local artists paint local scenes and topics. I will admit some of our photos came while driving from place to place during rainy Saturday rather than walking all over town to observe them. Seward is not the first town we have visited using murals to make a statement about local history and pride, but whenever it is done, we have enjoyed it.

A second indoor stop was at the Seward Community Library and Museum. The museum is small but was a visual insight into life in early Alaska. Seward’s ice free port, Resurrection Bay is over 900 feet deep, had long been its claim to fame for fishing and shipping. The 1964 earthquake changed that into tourism as the destruction by the earthquake and tsunami wrecked the piers and railroad line. The lengthy rebuilding process and less severe destruction in Anchorage switched the shipping function to Anchorage harbor and to Anchorage’s airports.

Statue in Seward honoring the Iditarod Trail, dog and man

The library/museum hosts two half hour films daily which we viewed. The first recaps the severity and impact of the earthquake. The second discusses the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Not to be confused with the Iditarod race, the Iditarod Trail was a dog sled route that predated the railroad and provided a means of travel for the early gold rush. The almost 1,200 mile trail began in Seward and ended in Nome, utilizing many trails used by indigenous peoples. Later supplanted by the railroad and then highways, the Iditarod Trail was an important supply route in the early days of Alaska. It has been recognized as one of the first historic trails in the U.S. by the Bureau of Land Management.

Fall in Alaska

Fall in Alaska

After the videos, we left Seward for our last Alaskan destination, Anchorage. We will be here until Tuesday morning when we fly to Seattle. Sunday morning’s church service had another Minnesota connection as we met a woman who had recently been back there to visit family and had made sure she took in the Minnesota State Fair. It was a low-key day, still a bit drizzly. We walked along Earthquake Park, built around a portion of town that actually slid into Cook Inlet during the 1964 earthquake. The signs here confirmed the earthquake impact but that Anchorage was spared the tsunami that destroyed so much of Valdez and Seward.

Fixed wheel plane using road to reach runway at Lake Hood Floatplane base

The highlight of the day was time spent at Lake Hood Floatplane Base. This is the largest seaplane base in the world with over 2,000 take-offs daily. There is a runway for fixed wheel planes also so we were constantly turning our heads to determine if the sound of another plane’s engine came from the land runway, the water runway, or the skies. Besides large closed hangers, open storage of planes occurred at large marina like locations but also stacked alongside the roadway. Frequently a small building would be built alongside the planes along the roadway. Signs warn you to yield to planes on the road which we thought was cute until we actually observed a plane warm up and head down the road to the land runway.

Anchorage Alaska skyline

Ed and Chris Monday September 9 4 AM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: Sept. 6

Posted on September 7, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

Leaving Seward for a 5 hour cruise of Resurrection Bay

Seward, AK. Friday September 6

Orcas!! Zounds. There must have been 15 or more of them hunting in several pods within viewing distance of our cruise ship. We were mesmerized watching them. They started out farther away, we were just slightly able to see their tail fins periodically. Our boat inched closed and the sharks hunted closer to us; the boat captain supposedly following the strict guidelines to be used when viewing wild animals by official tour operators.

Orca pods seen along Resurrection Bay

With several pods, there was no need to jostle for a certain position. There were pods in several directions, we all got front row seats. Even for me, after a while I could stop taking photos and just enjoy the view.

Our ship, Star of the Northwest, is run by Major Marine. MM offers several boats and tour lengths. As mentioned yesterday, the five hour tour we selected seemed long enough, served a buffet lunch, we had $20 off coupons, and a National Park Service ranger was on board to provide commentary and education. The cruise did not disappoint.

The ranger covered numerous topics from geology to birds to history to climate change. Some information was known to us, much was new or enhanced previous knowledge. We had met the ranger earlier in the day when we visited the visitor center. She was a new seasonal ranger but lives in the area. Her commentary confirmed our decision to choose a tour with a ranger on board.

Animals and birds seen during cruise

Kenai Fjords began as a national monument authorized by President Carter in 1978 to protect the Harding Icefield and marine mammals. Alaskans in general and the people of Seward were upset and did not want it. Within five years, tourism was booming and the town of Seward put Kenai Fjords at the top of its marketing material. We have seen this type of public reversal repeat itself at many national park units over the years.

Resurrection Bay

Resurrection Bay

The Harding Icefields are an area up in the mountains which can receive up to 100 feet of snow in higher elevations. This snowfall feeds 38 glaciers. This area is generally not open to the public. Through run-off from the glaciers, necessary minerals are deposited into Resurrection Bay, feeding the phytoplankton and zooplankton at the bottom of the food chain. In other areas, where rain rather than snow falls, a temperate rain forest exists. Thus as we traveled up and down Resurrection Bay we frequently saw mountain sides covered with trees, not snow.

Bear Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park

The five hours went quickly. This cruise was maybe not as overwhelming as the cruise out of Whittier, but still very enjoyable and we would definitely repeat it on any future trip.

Back at Seward dock

Ed and Chris Seward AK Sept. 6. 10:30 PM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: Sept.4-5

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

On the hills above Homer AK

Seward, Alaska, Sept. 4-5

Wednesday and Thursday were two relaxing days seeing the sights bookended by the exciting air flight on Tuesday and Friday’s upcoming water cruise.

Fishing boat design varies by the type of fishing being done

The day started at the Pratt Museum, the local historical society in Homer. While small, it had good displays unique to the Kachemak Bay Area. Coal mining was an early driver of settlement from the Lower 48. Fishing has historically been important, changes and overfishing have made full time commercial fishing a difficult occupation. That is one reason for the growth of fishing tourism.

The area covered by the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez

One display section focused on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. This was an oil tanker which after leaving the oil terminal in Valdez, ran aground in Prince William Sound on Good Friday 1989. 11 million gallons of crude oil were released, creating a monumental environmental crisis.

The display in the Pratt showed the extent of the spill. To help one visualize the extent of the oil spill, they have a U.S.map with a portable outline of the spill area. I placed the spill along the Mississippi River. The spill would have stretched from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota almost to St. Louis. This gave me a better realization of the spill and its consequences.

Hiking around Homer

Homer offers numerous hiking options from full day hikes across the bay at Kachhemak State Park to strolls around town. Wednesday we selected more leisurely options. While mountains line the south side of the bay, Homer itself has steep hills behind it on the north. To us, it resembled Duluth MN with its hills and view of Lake Superior.

Hiking around Homer

While deciduous trees are not abundant, there are some. Our expectations of a colorful scene of orange, and red, and yellow is not to be seen. Most of the deciduous trees have brown, falling leaves. The underbrush, however, has been colorful. Fireweed is a common plant here and can carpet a field completely or line the roadside with its 4-6 foot tall stalks. It is coming to the end of its season and depending on locale, may still be flowering or starting to seed. Its fluff is similar to cottonwoods or dandelions and you can walk through a cloud of the fluff as you walk along.

Our hikes did not produce any wildlife viewings. On one, a moose and her calves had been seen in the area and when we came across very fresh moose scat, we decided to take a different path. Female moose are known to be aggressively protective of their young. Views of mountains, sea, and glaciers were pretty much everywhere.

Routine tasks came into play, we had several loads of wash to do. The mud from the walk on Tuesday was on numerous articles of clothing and even the rinsing and washing down on Tuesday only partially got rid of the mud. An excellent halibut dinner capped our Wednesday activities.

Holy Assumption Orthodox Church, Kenai AK

Thursday was time to retrace our steps through the fire zone over to Seward. The people at the Maritime Islands National Wildlife Refuge had recommended a slight detour into the city of Kenai where a herd of caribou frequently hang out. Today they were absent.

The Nikiski area north of Kenai along the east shore of Cook Inlet

Since we were in Kenai, we decided to drive a few more miles north along the Cook Inlet looking for evidence of the oil industry. The Alaska papers had written about BP selling its Cook Inlet oil interests to a smaller firm out of Houston. I had not realized oil was a big deal outside of the North Slope Area. Evidently Cook Inlet is a major player as are several new fields elsewhere in Alaska that are getting attention. Those new fields will require new roads to be built through tundra and wilderness area. I am not going to get into the complicated history of oil, Alaska, tax write-offs, annual payments to residents and environmental concerns but did want to at least see this aspect of Alaska.

Nikiski is about 10 miles north of Kenai and a world away. As you leave Kenai, the roadside changes to an industrial setting with oil related businesses lining the sides, along with a surprising number of small churches. We passed a fertilizer plant, refinery, liquid natural gas processing facility, etc. Oil drilling rigs in the inlet were too far out to be visible to the naked eye although an exhibit at the Kenai Visitor Center said they were there.

Driving along the Sterling Highway in the Swan Lake fire zone

Leaving Nikiski, we continued our journey. Several times today we were stopped and had to wait for pilot cars to lead us through road construction zones. Going through the Swan Lake fire zone was slower this time. On Monday, Labor Day, the pilot car had zipped through. On Thursday, with construction crews active alongside fire containment workers, speeds rarely reached 20 mph. No fire was visible and the wind seemed to keep most of the haze to the south side of the road. But numerous areas not far from the roadside were smoldering and sending out heavy plumes of smoke. We had frequently heard comments predicting that the fires will return next spring. The boggy area tends to allow the fire to burn slow under the surface.

Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park

For us, the major attraction in Seward is Kenai Fjords National Park. Once again, much of the park is wilderness and difficult to reach. One accessible area is Exit Glacier just north of Seward. We reached it in time to take a hike to the viewing platform short of the glacier itself. Along the way are the usual signs indicating how the glacier has retreated. As you drive in and then as you hike, you pass signs indicating the glacier was down here in 1815, here in 1899, here in 1929, here in 1951, etc.

Friday the cruise is with Major Marine, a five hour expedition with lunch and views of the glaciers and fjords of Kenai National Park. Five hours seemed long enough, longer ones exist but take you out on rougher seas. After the Florida trip, rougher seas seemed not to be a wise option. We will let you know how this cruise fared.

Tern Lake, Seward Highway

Ed and Chris. September 6. 6:45 AM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: Sept. 3

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

Safety briefing number two at the runway by our plane

Homer AK. Tuesday September 3

Another WOW experience but maybe not for the reasons you might expect. Today was airplane vistas, bears and mud. The bears we were “hunting’ were in Katmai National Park, along the coast near Mt. Douglas. This is their natural environment and although we had planes and knew where they tended to congregate, there was no guarantee. Our locations were scattered; not Brooks Camp, a spot in Katmai National Park where bears line up to catch salmon and the Park Service had to install a boardwalk for people to see the bears without getting too close to them.

Our time to arrive at the hangar and begin the prep was 10 AM. Time is based on tides (we need low tide to land and take-off at Katmai), weather, and bear spotting. We arrived at the hangar early and were the second ones there. First task is to get fitted for waders, crotch high rubber boots with a strap at the top that goes through your belt or belt loops to make sure the waders stay up. Chris and I ended up selecting one size smaller than the initial estimate based on our shoe size; it seemed a better fit. (Remember for later.) You do not wear your shoes, just socks, inside the waders. I noticed our guide/naturalist/pilot wore a different type; waders with socks attached and lace-up boots over the waders.

Today Alaska Bear Adventures used three planes. Each was a Cessna 206, a plane highly popular and long in production. It holds six people, the pilot and five passengers. Our plane had us plus another Minnesota couple (from Eagan and he worked at WestLaw) and a local woman who was a firefighter with a day off from working the wildfires. We formed a jovial group.

View of Homer Spit

The flight from Homer to Katmai takes about an hour. It is over water, we had on personal flotation devices. ABA gives you two safety talks, in the hanger area and at the plane. Chris and I had the two middle seats, each with a window. You are given ear plugs to use if desired, small plane engines can be noisy. Take-off was no worse than a normal take-off with a jet, just that everything is so close outside your window.

Flying to Katmai National Park from Homer

The views are amazing. We had never flown on small planes before, just the helicopter ride in Kauai, Hawaii six years ago. Frankly the plane ride was a big reason to take the trip, seeing bears was just a bonus. Chris had worried about it for weeks, even to the point of making sure she did not eat too much and gain weight. Well in advance of the trip, you have to weigh yourself at home with the clothes you are likely to be wearing. You can not be more than ten pounds more at weigh in than the weight you told them in advance. The night before the flight I found myself getting nervous about the flight over water and the bears for no apparent reason.

Our circular rainbow

The landing strip on the beach, our planes, and walking back to the planes after bear number three

Out the window we saw the Homer Spit with a cruise ship in port; fishing boats in the bay, Seldovia, mountains, glaciers, and islands. I saw my first circular rainbow down below the plane. When the conditions were right, the outline of the plane was inside the rainbow! Our landing spot was on the coast near Mt. Douglas, a volcano, between high tide line and low tide line. It had a lot of small rocks, quite bumpy. And Chris loved it; this from a woman who used to close her eyes and say a prayer at every commercial plane take-off and landing.

Beach view of Mount Douglas after landing at Katmai National Park

Katmai is huge, we were touching only a tiny portion of it. Katmai is the fourth largest national park, about the size of Connecticut. Katmai was initially a national monument formed to protect the area around a volcano. In 1912, severe earthquakes rocked the area for a week before Novarupta erupted with a force over ten times stronger than Mt. St. Helens in 1980. It is estimated that only two eruptions in modern times displaced more volcanic matter than Novarupta (Greece’s Santorini in 1500 BCE and Indonesia’s Mount Tambora in 1815). The isolation of the region prevented major loss of life. It is estimated that if the eruption had occurred in Manhattan, there would have been zero survivors, ash in Philadelphia would have been over a foot deep, and the sound would have been heard in Chicago. The eruption left a valley with thousands of smoke vents; named Valley of 10,000 Smokes.

Walking to find bears

Bear number 1

We were here to see bears though. Off on our hunt we went. Successfully. We saw three bears. The first was after a hike through the grasses to a creek feeding into Douglas River. We passed two indentations dug out along the creek where a bear had carved out a napping spot. The path we followed was one used by bears also. We maintained a safe distance of 50 yards or so; the bear acknowledged we were there but did not interest him. The guide estimated this one was about 900 pounds. Coastal brown bears tend to get larger than most in Alaska (1200 is not unusual here) due to the abundance of good food sources on a year around basis.

Salmon were abundant in the stream, many having already spawned and just starting their death spiral. These do not interest the bear. Given the abundance, the bears here can be choosy looking for fresh salmon who have yet to spawn. We spent about 20 minutes just watching the bear as it waded along the stream, catching fish, and eating.

To reach our next bear was a longer hike. Most of the travel was beside a creek bed where we walked along the creek on top of rocks. Here was where the lack of any real support in the waders became evident. One could feel the outline of each rock you stepped on. After a while the process was less than exciting. Some of the time we walked in or across the creek. The waders were essential. The water was frequently knee high. The creek bottom alternated between rocks and sand, that glacier flour we have commented on before which gives the unique coloring to glacial waters. One tried to avoid stepping on dead salmon. One woman found her waders had a hole so that at a certain depth in the creek some water came into the bottom of her wader.

Bear and human tracks across the mud

At other times we walked across the land left muddy by the changing tide levels. Frequently we passed the tracks of bears; large paw prints heading in the general direction we were traveling. It was curious to compare their prints with that of the six of us marching through the muddy plains.

Bear number two that led to our adventure

The two other groups had taken off from the airport first, landed first, and then were the lead hikers. We were several minutes behind them. On the hunt for a second bear, the two of them followed a path and then our group started to veer away from theirs. Our leader had seen a bear in the distance. As we approached the bear, it noticed us and decided to take a hike. It walked behind a ridge and out of our view.

This left our group with the need to catch up with the first two groups. We, led by our naturalist/guide/pilot, cut across the muddy flats. Suddenly the muddy flats were turning into a quicksandish type of goo. One could not easily move forward without taking small steps, pulling up on your waders as you tried to move forward. Each slow step meant you were standing on your other foot for a longer period of time, allowing the pressure to push that foot further into the goo. You could hear the boots go “schlupp, schlupp” as they emerged from the suction grip of the goo. If we had been in the bigger boots, I fear they would have been pulled off despite the straps, the suction power of the goo was that strong. The phrase “stuck in the mud” has a much more personal feeling now.

After our mud adventure. Smiling? It was pretty scary.

Then in attempting to pull a foot out of the goo, one of the group went down. Getting back up is not easy. Then both Chris and I went down, getting goo over much of us. It took our guide with his more firmly attached boots to help each of us over to a safer location about 100 yards away. Each member of our group either fell or was stuck, needing assistance in getting to more solid ground. As one member stated, if a bear had come along then, we would have been a tasty morsel. As it was, all ended well. Clothes needed to be washed down and then laundered. We had a bonding experience. Long-lasting memories were made with a humorous tale to recount.

Bear number three

The two other groups had found a third bear and we joined them. This bear was lying down, trying to nap. our appearance caused it to raise its head periodically before it went back to attempting to nap. Despite our waiting and watching for the bear to do something more exciting, it just laid there. Eventually we headed back to the planes, only then realizing that we had come a long distance and the hike to the plane took longer than I thought it would. During the “goo” time I had stated I would no longer think poorly of walking on the stones and rocks. However, the long walk back along the rocky shore made we almost wish for the soft sand and mud.

Flying back from Katmai

The flight home was a gem. Our pilot took us up and around Mount Douglas. Mount Douglas is 7,000 feet in elevation, is a stratovolcano with a small crater lake near the top, and active fumaroles. Gorgeous views.

Flying home from Katmai

Kenai Mountains flying back to Homer

The trip back over Cook Inlet was uneventful but the views of the mountains and glaciers across from Homer (Kenai Mountains, town of Seldovia, Kachemak Bay and Kachemak Bay State Park, Wosnesenski Glacier, etc.) were another treat.

All in all, the day was 7.5 hours of fun and excitement. The vistas were great, Chris is even willing to try flying in a small plane again.

The view Ed had of Kachemak Bay and Kenai Mountains from the kitchen of our AirBnB while working on the blog

Ed and Chris. September 4. 4 PM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: September 2

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

First view of Cook Inlet from Kenai Peninsula at Ninilchik, AK

Homer, AK. Monday (Labor Day) September 2

Just about the end of the world here. The road to Homer continues for about 20 miles past it and then comes to a stop. Everything else has to be reached by air or boat. The weather varies greatly from the impact of mountains, ocean currents, as well just variation within the day. We can see rain shower clouds frequently in the distance which has dissipated by the time we arrive at that estimated location. During Monday we had several periods of rain as well as sunny skies.

Driving through the fire zone on the Sterling Highway between Cooper Landing and Sterling

The day began with the drive. We left Cooper Landing, able to drive on our own for five miles until there would be a check point. At the check point, you wait for the pilot car to follow it through the fire zone. Well, for us, we had not yet reached the check point when we saw the pilot car gaining on us from the rear. We pulled over, let it pass, and then joined the group. When we passed the next check point, the group just kept going. Cars waiting at the check point joined in at the end.

Sunday, the stretch to Cooper Landing looked like any other roadway except for the fire preparations areas. Monday, the stretch of road with the pilot car was definitely going through a fire zone. Our pictures are not the best, quick shots from a car moving at 55 mph through hills, curves, and stretches of gravel road. The gravel road portions were unclear to us; was this road under construction before the fire and unable to be finished or did the fire cause damage to the road surface? Don’t know the answer yet.

In several places, the forest fire had jumped the road. Burnt trees were on either side of us. Trees were down, some trunks coming close to the road. Areas of smoldering turf lurked just past the shoulder, wisps of smoke curling to the sky. The road had been completely shut down for two periods of time, we could see why. Smoke smell was everywhere, smoke haze was minor today. Our assumption was that the light rain had cleared the skies somewhat. This stretch continued for about 12 miles, then the pilot car pulled over and we continued the rest of the drive to Homer as if nothing was out of place.

The Kenai Peninsula is slightly larger than the state of West Virginia with a population of about 55,000. Four towns, Kenai, Sterling, Soldotna, and Homer each have a population between 5500 and 8000. The vast majority of the land is part of governmental units; Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Chugach National Forest, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Kachemak Bay State Park.

A short hike at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna, AK

We drove through Sterling and Soldotna on our way to Homer. In Soldotna, we stopped at the visitor center for Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. It was relatively new with wonderful exhibits and friendly, informative staff. Out back, we went for a nature hike between light rain drops. Evidently, we had just missed the arctic terns who summer on the lake (and other lakes). Arctic terns make the longest migratory journey of any bird, flying between the Arctic to the Antarctic every six months.

Church of the Transfiguration, Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik, AK

Interior of church

The Kenai Peninsula was one of the areas that Russians settled during its period of Alaskan colonization (1733-1867). We stopped in Ninilchik to visit a Russian Orthodox Church. By now, the sun was out and the church overlooks Cook Inlet with a beautiful view of the water. To our surprise, a bearded gentleman was sitting outside the church! Turns out he is a priest, born down by Sitka. The church itself is very small with numerous icons and paintings inside. The priest was clear that the Orthodox Church is the one Christian Church true to the original Christian beliefs and service.

Views from Homer Spit

Our drive continued to Homer, stopping for periodic photos. In Homer, we drove first to the Homer Spit; a 4.5 mile peninsula jutting out into Kachemak Bay. The town of Homer began as a fishing spot, with canneries and fleets. Competing towns existed across Kachemak Bay but the Sterling Highway came to Homer in 1950, and the 1964 earthquake damaged the towns across the bay to a greater degree. Now Homer is the major commercial center of the southern area with the towns across the bay accessible only by air or boat. The spit itself dropped nine feet in elevation during the earthquake, with most buildings destroyed. It is rebuilt now, both commercial fishing and sport fishing being major economic drivers.

Another Homer Spit photo

On the spit is the office of our air flight service, Alaska Bear Adventures. We had to be weighed in as the plane has a limit to what it can carry. We received our instructions, including that the departure time is now scheduled for 10 AM. Early morning fog is expected and pushed back a more normal start time of 6 AM. We should arrive back in Homer at 4:30 PM or thereabouts on Tuesday.

Beluga Slough, part of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, Homer AK

Lunch was at a nice restaurant overlooking the water with fresh halibut as our meal choice. Homer claims to be the halibut fishing capital of the world. After lunch we stopped at another wildlife refuge, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. At 3 million acres stretching from the end of the Aleutians to the southeastern tip of Alaska, it is the largest national wildlife refuge. More sea birds nest here than all other U.S. wildlife refuges combined. We took a hike to an estuary slough and finished with dessert at a local bakery.

For three nights we will be in Homer. Our lodging is east of town on the road that dead ends into nothingness. We checked out a portion of the road, hoping to return later when the rain has stopped and the sun is out to get better photos of the glaciers across the bay.

View overlooking Kachemak Bay from the patio at our AirBnB in Homer, AK

Ed and Chris. Homer Alaska. Tuesday September 3, 3:30 AM

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2019 Trip 5: Alaska: September 1

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Ed Heimel and Chris Klejbuk, MN travel bloggers; ckeh72@comcast.net

Kenai Lake at Cooper Landing, AK

COOPER LANDING FINALLY. Sunday September 1

Cooper Landing, population 286, lodging for this evening. We only had to wait about 15 minutes for the pilot car to lead us on the highway. Rain yesterday and cooler temperatures appear to have brought down the fire threat. Most of the actual burnt areas are west and north of here in the forest. Cooper Landing is still on “set” status; that is, be set to depart if the fire changes dramatically.

Driving to Cooper Landing along the end of Turnagain Arm

We left Anchorage around 9 AM. The rain cleared the skies a bit and we were able to view the southern shores of Turnagain Arm for the first time. Mountain peaks and valleys surrounded us as we drove past the Whittier turn-off onto new road. Cooper Landing came into view as we crossed the Kenai Lake and River with perhaps a dozen businesses. We drove past the rafting company that had to cancel our Saturday evening rafting adventure.

Can you spot Ed having dessert at the Kingfisher Restaurant?

The Kenai Princess Lodge is closed to overnight guests, not sure where Princess Cruises is housing the people who were scheduled to stay there. The Princess Lodge is open for meals, apparently most of their business is for fire fighters. We plan to patronize a small, local restaurant for dinner called the Kingfisher. It is on Kenai Lake and when fire fighting planes load up with water, they do so from Kenai Lake. Evidently it takes about 12 seconds for the plane to fully load as it scoops water from the lake. We are staying at The Hutch, a small B and B here in Cooper Landing.

Paper plate ID, water pumping readiness for fire fighters, Thank you sign

A short walk took us to the outlet where Kenai River runs out of Kenai Lake. With mountains,of course, in the background, it made for a great picture of Alaska. The firefighters have pre-planned their fire stoppage efforts. A pump, hoses, and tank lined each side of the river. Homes and business have temporary identification markers posted on paper plates at the front of each property. Signs are frequent to thank the firefighters for their efforts.

Along one of the walks

Driving back roads near Cooper Landing

We went for a few short walks. The scenery is beautiful. Every now and then the sun would peak out, then the clouds, wind, and a few drizzles show up.

Kenai Lake at Cooper Landing

Ed and Chris. Cooper Landing. September 1. 8 PM

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